In the Whale: The Greatest Fish Story Ever Told

Join "In the Whale" filmmaker David Abel for a film screening followed by Q&A on Saturday, Nov. 18. "In the Whale" is a feature-length film about, arguably, the greatest true fish story ever told. It’s the account of a man who survived to tell the tale of being swallowed and then spit out by a whale. In the shark-filled waters off Cape Cod, Massachusetts, lobster diver Michael Packard has long tempted fate. In an experience of biblical proportions, Packard was engulfed by a humpback whale and caught in the watery cavity of its massive mouth. After some 30 seconds of pitch-black captivity, in which he expected to die, he was spit out, fins first, to the surface, where Mayo and another fisherman rescued him. The publicity was similarly dizzying for the reclusive fisherman whose survival story spread around the world in news dispatches. But what came after the limelight dimmed was even more significant for Packard. Advance registration is required. Free event parking is available at the 52 Oxford Street Garage. This event is presented by Harvard Museum of Natural History and Harvard Museums of Science & Culture.